Chapter 96 Zhao Ying: Mom, my brother is alive and well! Zhao was shocked!
Zhao Feng was appointed as general.
Perhaps some people are truly happy for Zhao Feng, and for Zhao Feng's mother and sister.
For example, Wu Lizheng is a typical example.
He had no jealousy at all about this.
But some people.
Seeing that someone who used to live a worse life than himself has now become the most powerful person in the village, he naturally feels unspeakable jealousy in his heart.
Zhao Ying walked quickly towards her own yard.
Wu Lizheng also followed closely.
For Zhao Ying, she couldn't wait to tell her mother the good news.
Back home.
Zhao in the yard had been looking forward to it for a long time.
"Ying'er, how is your brother?"
Zhao immediately stood up and asked with a nervous look on her face.
"mother."
"Brother is still alive and well, and you will never imagine how powerful he is now." Zhao Ying said excitedly, her pretty face flushed.
Zhao was relieved to hear that Zhao Feng was still alive.
"As long as your brother is alive."
"Is there any news about when your brother will be back?" Zhao asked again.
"The Zhao family."
"Then I'm afraid it will be difficult for your Zhao Feng to come back in the near future." Wu Lizheng said with a smile.
"Uncle Wu, could it be that Feng'er did something wrong?" Zhao asked in surprise.
"Let Ying tell you, but you must be prepared and don't be scared." Wu Lizheng said with a smile.
Zhao still had a puzzled look on her face, her eyes fixed on Zhao Ying.
"mother."
"My brother has become a general of the Qin Dynasty." Zhao Ying said excitedly.
"General?" Zhao was stunned, with a look of confusion and surprise on her face: "What general?"
"He's the general who leads troops to fight." Zhao Ying replied with a smile. Her excited look showed how happy Zhao Ying was at the moment. She was happy for her brother.
"Did you get the wrong person?"
"Feng'er has been enlisted in the army for less than a year. Even if he has achieved some military merit by chance, he will not become a general." Zhao said in confusion.
"mother."
“I didn’t believe it at first either.”
"But you see, the imperial records have come down. All of my military exploits are recorded in them. Not only did I become a general, I was also granted the title of Zuo Shuzhang. Do you know what level of title this is? This is a tenth-level title. Our family will have a thousand acres of fertile land in the future, and if I have sons in the future, these lands can be inherited by my brothers without interruption."
"Look quickly."
Zhao Ying happily raised the bamboo slips in her hand, and then handed them to Zhao.
It was Zhao who taught the two brothers and sisters to read, so Zhao was naturally literate as well.
Zhao took the bamboo slips, opened them and looked carefully. She took in the words on them. When she finished reading them all, Zhao's face was filled with astonishment.
"How is this possible?"
Zhao held the bamboo slips in her hand and said in disbelief.
"The Zhao family."
“This is real.”
"Your boy Feng has made a name for himself and has become a general."
"You will enjoy a good life in the future." Wu Lizheng said with a smile.
But Zhao's face did not show much joy, but there was a worry deep in her heart: "If I could choose, I wouldn't even let him go to the army."
"mother."
"It's useless to say so much now. I've already made it, and I've made so many military achievements. And the officer who just distributed the annual salary also said that the current king thinks highly of me and directly issued a royal decree to publicize my military achievements to the entire army. I'm now the youngest general in the Great Qin State."
"Over the years, our family is still grateful to Grandpa Wu for giving us three acres of land to farm. In the future, we will have more land and can collect rent from tenants. We don't have to work so hard."
"And do you know how much my brother's salary is?"
"Totaling it all in one year now, it's a full eight hundred stones."
"Then I can buy some better medicine to help you recuperate." Zhao Ying said very happily.
Zhao Ying doesn't care much about power. What matters to her is that her mother can live a better life.
"After that year, I'm afraid your brother won't be able to withdraw." Zhao said disappointedly.
Originally, her biggest expectation was that Zhao Feng would serve in the army for two years and then return home to live.
But as Zhao Feng was promoted to deputy general and then general, his two years of service became empty talk.
Those who retire after two years of service are ordinary soldiers, not elite warriors. Even elite warriors cannot retire, let alone the rare generals who command troops.
“This is definitely irreversible.”
"But once Feng settles down, he will definitely come back to see you." Wu Lizheng said with a smile.
"mother."
"Now that my brother is fine, why are you still so depressed?"
Looking at Zhao who looked worried, Zhao Ying said with a smile.
"I'm glad your brother is okay." Zhao was just agreeing, but looking at her like this, it was obvious that she was very worried.
"It was with great difficulty that we managed to escape from the whirlpool, allowing Feng'er and Ying'er to survive. Now Feng'er has had this kind of fortune and has become a general."
"I hope Feng'er won't go to that vortex again."
"If people find out, Feng'er, Ying'er and the others will be in danger."
"If possible, it would be great if our family could live here forever and never go out." Zhao thought with a sigh.
At this time.
Wu Lizheng said, "By the way, the Zhao family, you should also prepare. Lord Chen Fen just said that the annual salary of young man Feng will not be distributed by him, but by the county governor. The county governor may arrive tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
"Don't worry, Grandpa Wu, I will be ready." Zhao Ying replied immediately.
"Also, the Zhao family."
"I want to discuss something with you." Wu Lizheng looked at Zhao hesitantly.
Looking at Wu Lizheng's expression, Zhao smiled slightly and said, "Uncle Wu, if it weren't for you, my mother and I, as well as Feng'er, might not be alive today. We will never forget your kindness in taking us in and taking care of us."
"I said it at the beginning."
"Our lives were saved by Uncle Wu. Feng'er and Ying'er are both your grandchildren. No matter what you want, our family will never refuse."
From these words, we can hear Zhao's gratitude to Wu Lizheng.
Wu Lizheng was also moved and smiled, saying, "It's not about anything else. Your son Feng has made it big. He has a rank of ten and will have a thousand acres of good farmland. There are more than a dozen families in our village who don't have enough land to plant. We have to pay high rent to rent from those rich families. I wonder if you can be a little cheaper and give them some good farmland to plant. At least the rent will be less than outside."
"Uncle Wu."
"You don't need to discuss these things with me. My mother and I don't understand these things at all. If there are really so many fertile fields, you can arrange them as you see fit." Zhao smiled slightly and didn't take it to heart at all.
"Just your words will do."
"I thank you on behalf of the poor families in the village."
Wu Lizheng said with a smile.
I have to say.
This Wu Lizheng is indeed worthy of the title of highly respected.
He is now nearly sixty years old, which is considered a long life in this era. He once had three sons, but all of them died in the battlefield. He once had a happy wife, but now he is left alone.
Because all his sons died in battle for the country and had made great contributions, the titles and fields of his three sons were given to Wu Lizheng, and were not nationalized until a hundred years later.
However, Wu Lizheng did not keep the dozens of acres of land in his hands at all. Instead, he distributed them evenly to the poor families and those with large populations in the village.
He only left two or three acres of land for planting.
Even the fields cultivated by the Zhao family were given by Wu Lizheng.
At this age, he no longer has any desire to enjoy himself. He has experienced too much and now he just wants to make life better for the poor villagers in the village.
At this time! There were sounds of footsteps outside the yard.
Many villagers who had always been on good terms with the Zhao family gathered together, and of course some came to watch the fun.
Now that the Zhao family has a general, he is a big shot in Sha Village, and even in the entire Shaqiu County. Naturally, many people want to try to please him.
"Congratulations, Zhao family."
"Your boy Zhao Feng has made great progress."
"yes."
"Your boy Zhao Feng has become a general. We are here to congratulate you."
"Your life won't be so hard anymore..."
One by one, the aunts came into the yard and congratulated Zhao.
Looking at these people, Zhao smiled as usual and responded one by one.
…
Xianyang, inside Zhangtai Palace! Ying Zheng sat on the throne, and in front of him were several important ministers of the Qin Dynasty. However, at this moment, these ministers had different expressions and each had a memorial circulated in his hand.
"Have you finished reading it all?" Ying Zheng asked.
"Return to the King."
"We have already circulated it." Wang Wan replied respectfully.
"What do you think of General Zhao Feng's plan?" Ying Zheng asked after glancing around.
"I think so."
"If we reorganize the surrendered soldiers, the hidden dangers will be too great. It is better to demote them to slaves. On the one hand, they do not need to pay salaries and avoid the loss of money and grain in the national treasury. On the other hand, the hidden dangers are too great. If we really reorganize them in this way, there will be a lot of losses in national strength." Wang Wan said directly.
"I think General Zhao Feng's plan is feasible."
"Since ancient times, there have been many strategies for battlefield attacks. The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plan. Han has been destroyed and its country no longer exists. It has become the Yingchuan County of our Great Qin. Strictly speaking, the surrendered soldiers of Han are also the people of our Great Qin. This is also what General Zhao said. There is no need to reorganize the surrendered soldiers."
"In the past, the soldiers who surrendered and then rebelled again were not truly loyal because their motherland still existed. But now that the capital of Han has been destroyed, do they still dare to rebel? The laws of our Great Qin will punish their entire clan. If they dare to do so, I will kill their entire clan to serve as a warning to others."
"Again."
"Reorganizing the surrendered soldiers is definitely beneficial to our Great Qin. Our Great Qin is determined to destroy all countries and unify the world. Every time we destroy a country, we will definitely accept a large number of surrendered soldiers. These surrendered soldiers who retreated from the battlefield are all strong fighters. They are far better than training new soldiers for our Great Qin, and the loss of national strength is also less."
"The reorganization strategy proposed by General Zhao means that before they are transformed into elite soldiers, they are still surrendered soldiers. All our Great Qin has to pay for them is a day's meal, and there is no need to pay them an annual salary. This also avoids a huge loss of national strength." Wei Liao stood up and echoed.
Compared with conservatives like Wang Wan, Wei Liao, as a disciple of Guiguzi, is naturally very open-minded and innovative.
He immediately approved of the reorganization strategy proposed by Zhao Feng and felt it was feasible.
"Tingwei, please tell me."
Ying Zheng did not make a direct decision and looked at Li Si again.
"Although I don't know much about military deployment, I don't know much about military organization."
"But Shaofu comes from Guiguzi, and is familiar with military strategies. Naturally, his insights into the army far exceed those of us who are deep in the government, so I think what Shaofu said makes sense." Li Si said with a fist salute.
These words came down.
A lot was said indeed.
However, he did not express Li Si's opinion, but instead echoed Wei Liao's opinion, and also criticized Wang Wan for being a person in a high position in the government and having no understanding at all.
I have to say.
Li Si's words were truly double entendres.
He is worthy of being a minister in the court.
Listen to what Li Si said.
A hint of dissatisfaction flashed in Wang Wan's old eyes, but he did not dare to go too far in front of the King of Qin.
"Perhaps what the Shaofu said makes sense, but it will take time to verify all this." Wang Wan glanced at Li Si.
And at this time.
Wang Jian, who had never spoken, spoke.
This time there was a military discussion, and Wang Jian and Meng Wu were naturally involved.
"I second Zhao Feng's proposal."
"I have been in the army for many years, and this strategy is feasible." Wang Jian directly expressed his attitude.
Hearing this.
Ying Zheng smiled slightly: "General, what you said makes sense. Zhao Feng's plan is indeed feasible."
"This strategy is to remove the firewood from under the cauldron, and the best way is to attack the heart."
"First, all the surrendered soldiers from Han have lost their motherland. They have nowhere to escape. Their families are under the control of our Great Qin. If they rebel, their entire family will be killed."
"Secondly, Zhao Feng uses the inducement of letting the surrendered soldiers become the real elite soldiers of our Great Qin. If they kill the enemy and make meritorious services, they can become elite soldiers. He gives every surrendered soldier the opportunity. I believe that no surrendered soldier can refuse. This is also another manifestation of the military merit system for the surrendered soldiers." Ying Zheng said slowly.
It seemed that he had summoned important ministers for discussion, but in fact these words had already made Ying Zheng decide that he agreed to the strategy proposed by Zhao Feng.
"Your Majesty is wise." Wei Liao was the first to speak in agreement.
The other ministers in the palace also echoed: "Your Majesty is wise."
"Admiral."
"Pass on my imperial edict, allowing Zhao Feng to implement this strategy."
"I will give him some time. If he can really make the surrendered soldiers form a fighting force for the use of my Great Qin, I will reward him." Ying Zheng said in a deep voice.
"I obey the imperial edict." Wang Jian said immediately.
"Your Majesty."
"I have something to report."
"It concerns the State of Zhao."
Wei Liao spoke at this time.
"Speak." Ying Zheng looked at Wei Liao.
"I have received some news."
"It seems that Zhao State intends to mobilize troops against other countries. Now Zhao State's most elite border troops have been mobilized, and Zhao State's Lian Po and Pang Nuan seem to be heading towards Handan as well." Wei Liao said in a deep voice.
"Zhao Yan."
When mentioning the State of Zhao, Ying Zheng thought of Zhao Yan, and a hint of coldness appeared on his face.
"He came to power illegitimately, and people in the court and even the people are constantly discussing him. If Zhao Yan wants to change this situation, he can only expand outward and expand the territory."
"It's not surprising that he wants to mobilize troops." Ying Zheng smiled faintly.
He had already seen through Zhao Yan's purpose.
"Your Majesty is right."
"Zhao Yan is eager to expand his territory to prove himself, but he doesn't dare to do it."
"Because I am here, what he fears most at this moment is me, I am afraid of the king."
"If he mobilizes troops, what he will worry about most is that my Great Qin will take the opportunity to mobilize troops against him. So before making sure that my Great Qin will not mobilize troops against him, Zhao Yan will definitely not dare to mobilize troops." Li Si said with a smile.
"I want Zhao to mobilize its army." Ying Zheng said with a serious face, looking at his ministers.
"The King of Zhao should be thinking the same thing right now, and is eager to sign a non-aggression pact with the Qin Empire in order to gain an opportunity to mobilize the army."
"I think we can send envoys to Zhao to make it clear that our Great Qin wants to form an alliance but not attack." Wei Liao said immediately.
"The reason why Zhao wants to form an alliance with our Great Qin now is to attack other countries and expand our territory. What reason should our Great Qin give?" Ying Zheng looked at Wei Liao and asked.
Wei Liao bowed and said with a smile: "Yingchuan is unstable! If you spread the news, the remnants of Han in various parts of Yingchuan will continue to cause chaos. The national strength of our Great Qin will disappear and the military will be exhausted!"
"We should also deliberately spread the news that Great Qin is afraid that Zhao will attack our Great Qin border and support Han. This will surely make Zhao Yan dispel his vigilance and form an alliance with Great Qin."
Hear this.
Ying Zheng's eyes lit up and he smiled, "As expected of me, this is a good plan."
"As long as the Qin Dynasty shows weakness, Zhao Yan will definitely fall into the trap."
"In his heart, he wants to form an alliance with our Great Qin to avoid being attacked from behind. He wants to make him sign an alliance with other countries first. When the battle cannot be withdrawn, our Great Qin will directly attack Zhao and will surely capture many cities of Zhao."
Hear the sound!
All the ministers bowed to Ying Zheng, and they all understood the young king's thoughts.
"Your Majesty is wise."
All the ministers said in unison.
"I'll leave the planning to Wei Qing."
"This matter is only known to me and you ministers. If it gets out, I will never show mercy." Ying Zheng said in a deep voice.
"We understand," the ministers responded immediately.
And Wei Liao also gladly accepted the order.
"After the rumors spread, we will need a capable minister to go to Zhao to seek an alliance."
"Does anyone among you recommend anyone?" Ying Zheng asked again.
"Your Majesty."
"I recommend Shang Qing Yao Jia. He is an excellent debater. Since joining our Great Qin, he has been thinking hard about serving the king. Now he finally has the opportunity. I believe he will never let the king down." Li Si immediately made a report.
Hearing the name Yao Jia.
Ying Zheng looked a little thoughtful.
My thoughts couldn't help but go back to those days.
then!
Yao Jia was once a minister of Zhao. In the name of the former King of Zhao, he united the three kingdoms of Chu, Han and Wei to attack Qin.
The ability is indeed the ability.
But after that he went to Qin State as an envoy, and was immediately expelled by Zhao State.
After entering Qin.
Yao Jia gained some respect from Ying Zheng because of his eloquence and ability, so he was appointed as Shangqing and given a fief of 1,000 households.
And that year Yao Jia entered Qin.
Naturally, this also caused a lot of discussion, among which the famous Han Fei even said: "The great thief of Liang is the exiled minister of Zhao."
You can see the irony of this sentence.
perhaps.
This is also why Yao Jia and Li Si poisoned Han Fei to death in history.
Han Fei's words were also a deeper reason that poisoned Yao Jia to death.
"When we go on a diplomatic mission to Zhao State, a person of prominent status should represent our Great Qin, which can also show that our Great Qin is forced to seek an alliance under the circumstances. I recommend Changping Jun Mi Qi. In terms of identity, he is the father of the eldest son's mother. In terms of status, he is the senior minister of our Great Qin. It is more appropriate for Changping Jun to be the envoy." Wang Wan stood up and proposed loudly.
Obviously.
He also wanted to compete with Li Si.
Hearing Wang Wan’s words.
Ying Zheng also looked thoughtful.
Wang Wan and Li Si looked at Ying Zheng anxiously. As ministers of the Qin Dynasty, the court was now clear and under the control of the king. If they wanted to prosper forever, they had to rely on the king, so they only had the right to propose.
"What the Prime Minister said is absolutely true."
"Going as Lord Changping will indeed make Zhao Yan more convinced that Great Qin is forced to seek an alliance."
After a while, Ying Zheng spoke slowly.
Hearing this.
Wang Wan immediately showed joy, while Li Si was slightly disappointed.
If this mission is successful, it will naturally be a great achievement.
"Although Changping Jun has some abilities, he is from the military and is not a perfect eloquent envoy. Yao Jia, on the other hand, is a good eloquent envoy."
"Pass on the secret decree."
"Appoint Mi Qi as the chief envoy and Yao Jia as the deputy envoy. Once Wei Qing has completed his plan and the time comes, you two will immediately go to the State of Zhao as envoys." Ying Zheng said immediately.
There is always a bright future ahead.
Li Si, who originally thought that his recommendation was useless, now also had a smile on his face.
"Your Majesty is wise."
Wang Wan and Li Si looked at each other and responded in unison.
"Father."
"Han Fei has been imprisoned in the imperial edict for nearly half a month. I wonder how father will deal with him?"
"I have long heard that Han Fei is a great talent of the time. If he can be used by our Great Qin, he will surely strengthen our national strength."
Fusu stood up and bowed.
As soon as these words fell.
Li Si in the hall felt uneasy and his brows suddenly tightened.
“It’s true.”
"Fusu is trying to win over Han Fei."
Li Si couldn't help but clench his hands in his sleeves.
Li Si was very clear about the talents of his classmate.
If Han Fei was really used by Fusu, it would definitely not be a good thing for him. Another great talent of the Legalists, to be used against him? Li Si understood Fusu's intention instantly.
"Your Majesty."
"I once studied at the Jixia Academy with Han Fei, and was taught by Master Xunzi."
"From my perspective."
"Han Fei has always been loyal and righteous. It will certainly not be easy to get him to submit to the Qin Dynasty with peace of mind." Li Si immediately stood up, looking helpless and understanding of Han Fei.
"Then according to what the Chief Justice said, Han Fei cannot be used by me?" Ying Zheng looked at Li Si and said.
All the officials of the Han Dynasty were escorted here together with Han Fei, but those who were willing to surrender and capable had already been assigned tasks, and their families would also be taken to the Qin Dynasty as hostages.
As for those who were unwilling to surrender, those with higher positions were directly executed, and their family members were demoted to slaves.
But only Han Fei.
After capturing Han Fei and bringing him to Qin, Ying Zheng never summoned him, but instead locked him up in the imperial prison and ignored him. Perhaps this was to train Han Fei so that he could naturally recruit him for his own use when he summoned him later.
"Father."
"I think Han Fei is a man of talent and pride."
"As long as we can persuade them with reason and appeal to their emotions, we will surely be able to make them serve the Qin Empire."
"Your son is willing to convey the imperial edict on behalf of your father to persuade Han Fei to surrender. Please grant your permission." Fusu bowed and asked directly.
Li Si saw this and became anxious. He immediately stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, Han Fei is my classmate and close friend for many years. I am willing to go and give him some advice."
Looking at the two people in the hall who were rushing to persuade Han Fei to surrender, Ying Zheng took a quick glance, and when he saw Fusu, a slight hint of disgust flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared in a flash.
Just a moment.
Ying Zheng set his eyes on Li Si and said, "The court official, please go there for me."
"I obey the imperial edict." Li Si responded immediately, and glanced at Wang Wan with a sense of pride.
Fusu stepped aside with some disappointment.
Wang Wan glanced at him with a worried look.
After all the ministers have left.
"Wang Wan."
"Fusu."
"Again and again..."
Ying Zheng stared outside the palace and uttered two names coldly, which seemed to carry a deep meaning.
When Zhao Gao, who was serving on the side, heard it.
There was no change in his expression, but he was happy in his heart.
In the palace.
Fusu and Wang Wan walked side by side.
"Young Master was too impatient just now. You must not ask the king to persuade Han Fei to surrender." Wang Wan said with a worried look on his old face.
"Why?" Fusu asked puzzledly.
"For a king, do you know what matters most?" Wang Wan asked back.
Fusu thought for a moment and said, "Rights?"
"Rights, exactly."
"And forming a clique for personal gain is even more taboo for the king."
"Han Fei is a prisoner and has not surrendered to the Qin Empire. Your enthusiasm for Han Fei is excessive."
"Although you are the eldest son, you are not the crown prince after all. When you bring up such a matter, it is full of intentions of winning over Han Fei to serve you. Even if you want to do so in your heart, you cannot show it in front of the king." Wang Wan said with a sigh.
"No wonder my father chose Li Si to persuade them to surrender."
"I have offended my father here." Fusu looked suddenly enlightened.
"At first, I wanted you to get military power to pave the way for him to be promoted to the crown prince, so I ordered people to spread the news that the king intended to marry you to the daughter of the royal family. This fact was a test of the king by me, but the king did not stop me and was happy to see it happen in the court. It shows that in the king's heart, you are very important."
"So you don't need to worry about what happened today."
"In the future, you must be careful not to overdo it in front of the king, and you must not show any interest in competing."
"The royal family has no father and son, only rights."
"Young Master, you must keep this in mind." Wang Wan said very seriously.
Fusu nodded, bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Prime Minister."
"Sir, there is no need to do this. I will do my best for you."
"Although you didn't have the chance to meet Han Fei in person this time, at least your grandfather got the opportunity to go on a diplomatic mission to Zhao. As long as Changping Jun makes achievements, the credit will belong to you."
"Li Si is ultimately not as powerful as the young master in the court."
"He can't beat us." Wang Wan said with a sneer.
And at this time! Li Si walked slowly back.
When he saw Wang Wan and Fusu talking, Li Si didn't even stop.
"The court official is really very proud of himself."
"The eldest son is here, but you don't know how to perform formalities?"
Watching Li Si pass by, Wang Wan frowned and said coldly.
"Why do you have to salute?"
"Although the eldest son is a prince, he is not the crown prince. If I want to pay respect, I should pay respect to the king and the crown prince."
"In terms of official rank, Prince Fusu is not as good as me." Li Si turned around and replied with a bit of coldness.
Then he turned around and left.
From this attitude, we can see how incompatible Li Si and Wang Wan were, and they didn't even bother to hide it.
…
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
